Akor Adams announced himself to Venezia supporters in emphatic fashion on Saturday night, scoring twice and setting up a third goal to steer his new club to a 3-2 victory over Modena in the Coppa Italia — and into a round-of-16 meeting with international teammate Maduka Okoye.

The forward, making his debut following his transfer from Sevilla in Spain's La Liga, delivered the decisive moment in the 85th minute, rifling home the winning goal to seal Venezia's passage to the next round.

A dramatic night in the cup

Modena, currently competing in Serie B, drew first blood when Giuseppe Ambrosino broke the deadlock in the 17th minute. Adams responded swiftly, levelling the tie just nine minutes later to make it 1-1.

The Serie B side regained their advantage when Ambrosino struck again in the 39th minute to put Modena 2-1 ahead. Venezia kept their composure, and Adams turned provider in the 83rd minute — threading a pass through for John Yeboah to equalise.

Adams then took centre stage two minutes later, finishing clinically to earn Venezia the win and guarantee his side's place in the last 16.

Nigerian international showdown awaits

The victory sets up a mouthwatering Coppa Italia encounter between two Nigerian internationals. Adams will line up against goalkeeper Maduka Okoye when Venezia face off in the round of 16, giving both players an early opportunity to state their cases on Italian football's domestic cup stage.